Form No. 10-300 tf*eM-. AO-"1 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR lillllllililili NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES -- COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS NAME HISTORIC J A Ranch. AND/OR COMMON Goodnight Ranch. LOCATION STREET & NUMBER Pala Duro Rural Route _NOT FOR PUBLICATION CITY, TOWN CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Pala Duro Canyon „&_ VICINITY OF STATE CODE COUNTY CODE A Q T^TT^IQ Armstrong Oil HCLASSIFICATION CATEGORY OWNERSHIP STATUS PRESENT USE X—DISTRICT _ PUBLIC -^OCCUPIED — AGRICULTURE —MUSEUM _ BUILDING(S) ^PRIVATE —UNOCCUPIED X-COMMERCIAL _PARK —STRUCTURE —BOTH —WORK IN PROGRESS —EDUCATIONAL —PRIVATE RESIDENCE —SITE PUBLIC ACQUISITION ACCESSIBLE —ENTERTAINMENT —RELIGIOUS —OBJECT _|N PROCESS —YES: RESTRICTED —GOVERNMENT —SCIENTIFIC —BEING CONSIDERED — YES: UNRESTRICTED —INDUSTRIAL —TRANSPORTATION -N° —MILITARY —OTHER: (OWNER OF PROPERTY NAME Mr. Montie Ritchie STREET & NUMBER Palo Duro Rural Route CITY, TOWN STATE Clarendon VICINITY OF Texas 79226 LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION COURTHOUSE, REGISTRY OF DEEDS.ETC. County Clerk, Armstrong County STREET & NUMBER Box 309 CITY, TOWN STATE Claude. Texas 79019 REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS TITLE None DATE —FEDERAL —STATE _COUNTY _LOCAL DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS CITY, TOWN STATE DESCRIPTION CONDITION CHECK ONE CHECK ONE ^.EXCELLENT —DETERIORATED —UNALTERED X.ORIGINAL SITE _GOOD —RUINS WALTER ED —MOVED DATE. —FAIR —UNEXPOSED DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (IF KNOWN) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE Located in the Palo Duro Canyon of the Texas Panhandle, the J A Ranch Headquarters is a large and attractive complex consisting of 9 major constructions dating from various periods in the history of the ranch. Without question, the most impressive of these buildings is the Ritchie Ranch House. The Ranch House consists of two sections. The first section built was the original log cabin homestead (see photograph no. 3). This building dates from before the Civil War. The second part of the building is the main section. This building is constructed of stone with a frame second story. Both sections of the house has two stories. The ranch house contains more than 16 rooms. Entering from the south porch entrance of the cabin, one steps into the study. Furnished in tasteful, though not exotic, modern furniture, one is impressed by the farm atmosphere maintained in the interior decor. A hallway runs north-south through the house with adjoining rooms located on either side. On the west side of the hallway is the formal dining area. Most striking in the room are the many original art treasures of the great masters, including Chagall. These paintings are kept lighted when Mr. Ritchie occupies the house. In the center of the dining area is. a table which seats 12. Keeping in harmony with the other decor of the bouse, the dining room appears, likewise, quite rustic and the table and chairs appear to be made of hand hewn logs with only veneer finish. On the north side of the house are the personal apartments of Mr. and Mrs. Ritchie. There is a personal bedroom- dressing room suite in this section of the house. There is a narrow stairwell with, balustrade which circles to the second floor. On this level are a number of bedrooms including several guest rooms. The original log section has recently been refurbished. On the interior of the cabin extensive remodeling has taken place to aceomodate the housekeeper Wall to wall carpeting has been placed on all floors and the staircase to the second floor. Likewise, there has been general modernization of the apartment which includes new plaster, paint, etc. Both the log and main sections of the house have recently seen alterations on the exterior. Siding placed on the house sometime during the early 20th century has been removed and the original log work has been exposed and stained, On the main house, stones have been repointed and cast iron railings have been placed on the porch which runs the length of the east elevation. On the second story, old shingles have been removed and replaced with new ones. Most striking in appearance is the present painting of the house which has greatly altered its appearance. The Bunk House, built c. 1878, sits across the street on the south side of the Ranch House. A one story frame and stone structure, the bunk house has a porch which extends the length of the east elevation and circles tn the south side. To the north, the frame section appears an addition of a later period. (continued) 01 SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE -- CHECK AND JUSTIFY BELOW —PREHISTORIC —^ARCHEOLOGY-PREHISTORIC —COMMUNITY PLANNING —LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE —RELIGION —1400-1499 —ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC —CONSERVATION —LAW —SCIENCE —1500-1599 —AGRICULTURE —ECONOMICS —LITERATURE —SCULPTURE —1600-1699 _ARCHITECTURE —EDUCATION —MILITARY —SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN —1700-1799 —ART —ENGINEERING —MUSIC —THEATER —X.1800-1899 —^COMMERCE —EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT —PHILOSOPHY —TRANSPORTATION — 1900- —COMMUNICATIONS —INDUSTRY —POLITICS/GOVERNMENT —OTHER (SPECIFY) _INVENTION SPECIFIC DATES 1879-1889 BUILDER/ARCHITECT Charles Goodnight STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Charles Goodnight (1836"-1929), soldier, plainsman, and pioneer cattleman of the Staked Plains, dominates the history of the cattle frontier in Texas. He stood with two or three other men in decisively influencing the pattern by which, in the years after the Civil War, the open range cattle industry developed. He blazed several important cattle trails of the West. The first rancher in the Texas panhandle, he guided the growth of the industry in that area. By the turn of the century he had earned the reputation as possibly the most important scientific breeder of range cattle in the West. By the time of his death, he was internationally recognized as an authority on the industry. Of the three sites associated with Goodnight in the panhandle, the J A Ranch headquarters in the Palo Duro Canyon is most fittingly appropriate in signifying the contributions of this cattle baron to the cattle industry. From there, between 1879 and 1889, he directed the J A enterprise during its most successful years. With the backing of John G. Adair, an Irishman and prosperous farm owner, Goodnight managed the spread, and guided the J A on its long and profitable history. Under Goodnight's management, the J A grew to encompass 700,000 acres of grassland supporting 40,000 heads of cattle. Located in a wide section of the Palo Duro Canyon, the ranch is Still a large and active concern, owned by Mr. Montie Ritchie, one of Adair ! s Irish descendents. BIOGRAPHY Charles Goodnight (1836-1929), soldier, plainsman, and pioneer cattleman of the Staked Plains, dominates the history of the cattle frontier of Texas. He came west with his family at the age of nine and settled in Milam County, where, during his early years, he laid the foundation for the vast knowledge of Indians and great skill at plainscraft for which he later became noted. After serving with the Texas Frontier Regiment during the Civil War, he entered the cattle business. In the post-war years he made himself famous by blazing cattle trails and leading great herds to more profitable markets than Texas afforded. Wihh Oliver Loving, in 1866 he laid out the Goodnight-Loving Trail from Fort Belknap to Fort Sumner, New Mexico, then pushed an extension—the Goodnight Trail—north through Colorado to Wyoming. In 1875 he blazed a trail from Alamogordo, New Mexico, to Granada, Colorado, and in 1877 a trail from the Panhandle north to Dodge City, Kansas. From 1868 to 1876 he built up a ranch in Burton, Harley, A History of the J A Ranch (Austin, 1928). Haley, J. Eyatts, Charles Goodnight, Cowman and Plainsman (Norman, Okla., 1949) Goodnight Papers, University of Texas Sheffy, L.F., "The Old Home Ranch Site," Panhandle-Plains Historical Review, Vol. XIX (1946). [^GEOGRAPHICAL DATA ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY Approximately 40 UTM REFERENCES AlMI I 3| 0. 0| 1. 6. Oj p p t 8.0,01 P P . 01 0. 0. 0[ P .8 P .4 |4 .0 ,0 ZONE EASTING NORTHING ZONE EASTING NORTHING C|l|4| 1219,91517^01 13,815,416,4,01 D| 1,4| \L |9 p |7 g . 0| |3 ,8 |5 ,510.0,0 VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION See continuation sheet. LIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES STATE CODE COUNTY CODE STATE CODE COUNTY CODE FORM PREPARED BY NAME/TITLE _______Joseph S. Mendinghall, Historian ORGANIZATION DATE Historic Sites Survey (202) 523-5464 STREET & NUMBER TELEPHONE 1100 L Street, N.W. CITY OR TOWN STATE Washington B.C. 20240 STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER CERTIFICATION THE EVALUATED SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PROPERTY WITHIN THE STATE IS: NATIONAL__ STATE___ As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the National Historic Presen a Ac^o1*1966 (PuBlic taw 89- hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify tha criteria and procedures set forth by the National Park Service. STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER SIGNATURE GPO 892-453 Form No 10-300a (Rev. 10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT Oh THt INTERIOR FOR NPS USE ONLY NATIONAL PARK SERVICE RECEIVED NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM DATE ENTERED CONTINUATION SHEET ITEM NUMBER 7 PAGE 2 On the inside there are a number of rooms including the dining room and game room. There has also been placed a three room apartment in the bunk house for the cook and his family. On the west side of the bunk house is a one-story frame addition in which are the actual sleeping quarters for ranch hands. These quarters can comfortably accomodate up to 12 persons on double bunks. Rustic furnishings make the bunk house an impressive facility. On the walls are photographs of past cattlemen of the J A and other historical mementoes are located throughout the building.